Saving costs with technology
As technology advances, new products and services appear almost overnight. Small businesses can feel overwhelmed by the hype surrounding new hardware, gadgets and programs, which all claim to make things easier and more intuitive.
Almost every business has invested in a piece of software that has remained unused or provided little practical value despite the sales pitch and promises.
With so many options available, it’s difficult to determine what will work and which options to avoid. You don’t have to spend large amounts of money on the latest gadgets or expensive programs. Some of the most important tools for small businesses are free or low-cost.
On this page:
- Keeping on top of new technology
- Software and Internet services to save you money
- Ways to save costs around the office
Keeping on top of new technology
If you’re looking at new ways to get the most out of your IT systems while trimming running costs, you aren’t alone. Globally, big and small businesses are adopting new ways to use IT resourcefully and with minimal hassle.
A recent US survey of more than 400 small businesses, by IT industry association CompTIA, found that 30% were considering adopting cloud computing in the next 12 months, up from 14% two years ago. This figure excludes businesses already taking advantage of cloud technology.
You don’t have to be an IT expert to take advantage of new technology for your business. You just need to know where to look and keep an open mind about how technology might be able to make things easier.
Keeping up-to-date with the latest trends and new opportunities might not be as time-consuming as you think. Here are some ways to keep your finger on the pulse.
- Get reading: There a many IT-dedicated magazines such as PC World, and blogs and e-newsletters that track current trends and review software. Trade magazines or publications like NZBusiness magazine also feature new technology with an emphasis on business.
- Talk to an IT-savvy friend or employee: Most of us know someone who loves technology or works in the IT industry – use their knowledge to your advantage.
- Ask other businesses: Next time you’re networking at conferences or events, try to find out how similar industries are using technology.
Software and Internet services to save you money
Here are some of the best ways to use the Internet to get tech-savvy and trim your IT budget.
Cloud computing
Most of the programs you currently use on your PC have a cloud equivalent and new applications and features are being added constantly. The main difference is that rather than installing the software on your computer, the programs are on the Internet and load like a web page. Everyone can work together on one platform from any location, rather than owning individual copies of programs, saving time and encouraging collaboration.
A great deal of cloud software is free or low-cost and you only pay for what you need, meaning you don’t need to buy a suite of programs you might not use. Because data is stored on the Internet not your hard drive you can save money on hardware upgrades and hold onto older computers longer.
The cloud can also be used as a low-cost data back-up method as it can organise and store large files of any type.
Google Docs is a popular free cloud platform and includes Gmail integration. Microsoft Office 2010 has an optional cloud service, Office 365, available for a small monthly fee.
Find out more about cloud computing for your business.
Free or low-cost downloadable software
Some of the most useful software is available on the Internet free or for minimal charge and ranges from anti-virus software to time management tools, to almost everything in between.
Be aware that free software may have limited functionality or require payment after a period of time. Some free software might contain malicious software or ‘malware’, which is capable of transmitting your personal data to another computer. Make sure you use good anti-virus software to detect and remove malware and spyware.
Cnet Download is good place to find completely free or trial software. Read more about using technology for keeping business records for more money-saving options.
Use social media as part of your marketing strategy
Facebook and Twitter are currently the two biggest players in the social media world. Others include the business networking platform LinkedIn and blog sites such as Blogger and Wordpress. Google has recently released its own platform, Google+, which is part of the Google application suite.
Most businesses use at least one form of social media and many have successfully trimmed their marketing budgets as a result. It’s free to create a page for your business and only takes a few minutes to create a basic profile or start ‘tweeting’. But getting the most out of social media requires some careful thought and planning.
Find out more about how to get the most out of social media with a social media plan for your business.
Create a staff Intranet page
A staff intranet page can be a good forum for staff to collaborate on projects or share ideas. It can be as in-depth or as basic as you like, and can be linked to your company cloud portal or email system. Unlike your company Internet page, your Intranet page is a private space only visible to employees.
Google Sites offers a low-cost way to create a basic intranet page with as many features as you like. Creating a Facebook Group is free and enables employees to interact with each other, schedule and manage meetings and create shared documents.
Reduce phone charges by using online conferencing tools
Popular programs such as Skype and Google Voice allow you to talk or video conference over your Internet connection. Skype allows you to call any mobile or landline around the world just like using a standard telephone, with charges as low as US 1 cent a minute. Calls over the Internet (between computers) are free and you can register for your own phone number that people can use to call you whenever you are signed in at your computer.
All you need is an Internet connection, a headset that connects to your computer and a webcam for video calls. This is a handy tool enabling employees working away from the office to take part in meetings or conferences.
The technology was formally known as Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) and is incredibly popular with businesses as a cost-effective and flexible alternative to mobile and landline calling.
Ways to save costs around the office
Technology can also save you costs in other ways. Here are some of the best tips for trimming your budget further.
Go paperless
Less paper means reduced clutter and less time wasted printing and handling documents for your business.
Rather than printing out every document and invoice, let technology work for you by storing data on your PC, portable hard drive or cloud portal. Some businesses have taken their archives online by scanning documents and arranging them on their work network for quick access.
Just remember that every document on your PC or cloud needs to be backed up regularly and protected from cyber attacks such as viruses, firewall intrusion or other attacks.
Read more about protecting your business from cyber attacks.
Share printers
Most businesses don’t need multiple printers. Connecting printers is easy using WiFi or an Ethernet cable and enables multiple users to connect to one printer.
For less than the price of purchasing multiple, lower-specification printers, you could purchase one or two high-quality printers than will last longer and print faster.
Microsoft Windows comes with tools built in that make it easy to connect printers to your network.
Upgrade components
Rather than retiring a work PC, give it a new lease of life with additional RAM or a higher-capacity hard drive. Both are relatively inexpensive and are a quick way to boost performance without having to spend a large amount of money on new equipment.
If the majority of your work is based around cloud computing or other online activities, you may not need a high-specification PC, as hard drive capacity and processing power are less important. This means you can retain computers for longer and upgrade only as required.
Avoid gadget-fever
We all want the latest gadgets but it’s important to step back and ask yourself if there is a tangible value for your purchase.
If you need to purchase a new piece of hardware, consider what will best suit your needs as a business, rather than going for the most expensive item. You might find that an inexpensive model is more suitable than a model with added functionality that you are unlikely to use.
